Guide to the
2002 Economic Census

Definitions of Geographic Concepts, including Maps

States

Counties

Places

Metro Areas

ZIP Codes

Outlying Areas

Special-Purpose Areas

Maps

States

States are the primary governmental divisions of the United States. The District of Columbia is treated as a statistical equivalent of a State for census purposes.

(Statistics for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands are published only in the separate 2002 Economic Census of Puerto Rico and the Island Areas, and are not included in any United States totals.)

Each State and equivalent is assigned a two-digit numeric Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code (ST) in alphabetical order by State name (e.g., Alabama=01, Wyoming=56). In files for Mining, additional codes appear in the state field for offshore areas (codes 80-83). In files for Construction, codes 91 to 94 are used in the state code field to identify census regions.

Counties

Counties and their equivalents are the primary political and administrative divisions of States. These areas are called parishes in Louisiana. In Alaska, 27 boroughs and "census areas" are treated as county equivalents for census purposes. Several cities (Baltimore, MD, St. Louis, MO, Carson City, NV, and 40 cities in Virginia) are independent of any county organization and, because they constitute primary divisions of their States, are accorded the same treatment as counties in census tabulations. That part of Yellowstone National Park in Montana is treated as a county equivalent. The District of Columbia has no primary divisions, and the entire area is considered equivalent to a county for statistical purposes. Kalawao County, HI, is combined with Maui County for statistical purposes.

Counties are identified by a 3-digit Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code, which is sequenced alphabetically within state, except for the independent cities, which follow the listing of counties within state.

Places

Incorporated Places -- The 2002 Economic Census provides information for legally defined, incorporated municipalities (cities, towns, villages, and boroughs) with 2,500 or more inhabitants as of the 2000 population census or a subsequent population estimate. Hawaii does not have incorporated places that are recognized for census purposes, so data there are provided for census designated places (CDP's) with 2,500 or more inhabitants.

Selected Towns and Townships -- Some county subdivisions, such as towns and townships, are not classified as incorporated places for census purposes. Statistics are presented in the 2002 Economic Census for towns in the six New England states, New York, and Wisconsin, and townships in Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey and Pennsylvania with a 2000 census population of 10,000 or more. These towns and townships are presented in the same tables as places.

The place code is a five-digit FIPS code assigned to places (including independent cities) in alphabetic sequence within a state. Its use largely replaced that of the 4-digit census place code used in 1987 and earlier censuses.

All incorporated municipalities with populations of fewer than 2,500, town and townships not qualifying as noted above, and the remainders of counties outside places are categorized as "Balance of county" and assigned a place code of "99999".

Metropolitan Divisions (MDs) -- If specified criteria are met, a Metropolitan Statistical Area containing a single core with a population of 2.5 million or more may be subdivided to form smaller groupings of counties referred to as Metropolitan Divisions.

Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas are defined in terms of whole counties (or equivalent entities), including in the six New England States.

Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas together include about 93 percent of the U.S. population – about 83 percent in metropolitan statistical areas and about 10 percent in micropolitan statistical areas. (Previously, the metropolitan classification included about 80 percent of the U.S. population.) Of 3,142 counties in the United States (the 3,141 counties at the time of the 2000 decennial census plus Broomfield, Colorado, which became a county in November 2001), 1,090 will be in the 362 metropolitan statistical areas in the United States and 674 counties will be in micropolitan statistical areas (1,378 counties will remain outside the classification). (Previously, the classification included 847 metropolitan counties.)

Combined Statistical Areas -- If specified criteria are met, adjacent Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas, in various combinations, may become the components of a new set of areas called Combined Statistical Areas. For instance, a Combined Statistical Area may comprise two or more Metropolitan Statistical Areas, a Metropolitan Statistical Area and a Micropolitan Statistical Area, two or more Micropolitan Statistical Areas, or multiple Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas. The areas that combine retain their own designations as Metropolitan or Micropolitan Statistical Areas within the larger Combined Statistical Area. Combinations for adjacent areas with an employment interchange of 25 or more are automatic. Combinations for adjacent areas with an employment interchange of at least 15 but less than 25 are based on local opinion as expressed through the Congressional delegations.

The geographic components of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Metropolitan Divisions are counties and equivalent entities (boroughs and census areas in Alaska, parishes in Louisiana, municipios in Puerto Rico, and independent cities in Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia). The counties and equivalent entities used in the definitions of the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas are those that were in existence as of January 1, 2000, with the exception of Broomfield County, Colorado.

Metropolitan, micropolitan, and combined statistical areas are defined under the auspices of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). That agency also identifies New England City and Town Areas (NECTAs), but NECTAs are not published in the Economic Census.

Of the 370 Metropolitan Statistical Areas, __ are new areas defined since the 1997 Economic Census. Of the __ MSA that were published in the 1997 census, ___ have changed boundaries. Independently, __ of the __ 1997 MSAs changed title.

See the lists defining the new metropolitan, micropolitan, and combined statistical areas.

ZIP Codes

Puerto Rico and Island Areas

The 2002 Economic Census in Puerto Rico and Island Areas provides data for--

• Puerto Rico: The island as a whole, metropolitan areas, 9 commercial regions, 78 municipios} (county equivalents), and barrios and pueblos (place equivalents). The commercial regions are groups of municipios that collectively cover Puerto Rico. They are used in the reports for retail trade and service industries in lieu of MSA's, but are not used in other sectors.
  
• Guam: The island as a whole and {19} election districts
• U.S. Virgin Islands: The territory as a whole; the islands of St. Thomas and St. John combined, and St. Croix; and three towns
• The Northern Mariana Islands: The territory as a whole and {four municipalities}
• American Samoa (this area is newly added for 2002)

Special-Purpose Areas

Offshore Areas. The Economic Census for the mining sector presents some statistics on petroleum and natural gas industries for selected offshore areas (as well as by State).

• All Offshore Areas (State code 80)
• Offshore areas of the Atlantic (State code 81)
• Offshore areas of the Gulf of Mexico (82)
• Offshore areas of the Pacific (83)

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